The Impostors + Withnail and I

Episode Notes

Actors doing their thing to comedic ends in The Impostors + Withnail and I. The podcast discusses the themes of The Impostors and “Withnail and I”, both of which explore the concept of identity and the performative nature of self. The Impostors, a comedy film about two struggling actors who accidentally become involved in a wealthy socialite’s disappearance, delves into the characters’ desire to escape their mundane lives and fulfill their dreams of fame. Withnail and I, a British black comedy about two unemployed actors living in London, delves into the characters’ struggles with their own sense of self-worth and the influence of societal expectations on their identity. Both films offer a humorous and satirical look at the struggles of trying to navigate the complexities of one’s own identity in the face of societal pressures and expectations.

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The Impostors

Released: October 2, 1998
IMDB | Wikipedia

Director: Stanley Tucci
Writer: Stanley Tucci
Starring: Oliver Platt, Stanley Tucci, Walker Jones

Wrongly accused of physically abusing a fellow actor, starving thespians Arthur and Maurice find themselves pursued by the law aboard a cruise ship.

Withnail and I

Released: June 19, 1987
IMDB | Wikipedia

Director: Bruce Robinson
Writer: Bruce Robinson
Starring: Richard E. Grant, Paul McGann, Richard Griffiths

Two out-of-work actors -- the anxious, luckless Marwood and his acerbic, alcoholic friend, Withnail -- spend their days drifting between their squalid flat, the unemployment office and the pub. When they take a holiday "by mistake" at the country house of Withnail's flamboyantly gay uncle, Monty, they encounter the unpleasant side of the English countryside: tedium, terrifying locals and torrential rain.